Railway traffic controlling apparatus



March 26, 1935. E, M. BLAKE RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS 5 9. x. Q m M 2 m N 1m R 4 m Q a 2 M o 0 E Y m fi %i 0 y 3 Z 0 m 8 v4 m 1 d w H 9 Eu ,0 w m .l I; 4 b .1 a 1 0 2 m 3 I T 2 Wm m L J 2 OF P//. v Nm h i 9 b b i fiflw wl Lil MQLT v 3 3 1 D x mwm m a 9 b HIS A TTORN E Y.

Patented Mar. 26, 1935 RAILWAY; TRAFFIC ooN'raoLLING APPARATUS Edmund M. Blake, Queens Village, N. Y.

Application May 6, 1932, Serial No. 609,663 Renewed July 12.1934

14 Claims.

My invention relates to railway trafiic controlling apparatus, and particularly to apparatus of the type involving a railway switch and the signal governing trafiic over the switch.

More specifically,'my invention relates to the approach and detector track circuit locking of a switch, and has for an object the provision of novel and improved approach and detector looking and release means for a switch.

I will describe two forms of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one form of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is diagrammatic view showing a modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and also embodying my invention. 7

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference. characters l and l designate the track rails of a stretch of main track A which is divided by insulated joints 2 to form a detector section de and an approach section c-d. The detector section Ze is provided with a switch F leading-into a side track Z. Each track section is provided with a track circuit comprising a battery 3 connected across the rails adjacent one end of the section, and a track relay designated by the reference character T with a distinguishing exponent and connected across the rails adjacent the opposite end of the section.

Trafiic moving toward the right, as shown in the drawing, which I will assume is the eastbound direction, over switch F is governed by signal S or signal S according as switch F is in its normal position, as shown in the drawing, or is in its reverse position for a traffic movement to or from siding Z. Trafiic moving in the opposite or westbound direction is governed by signal S or S according as the trafiic movement is along the main track A or is from siding Z to main track A. A circuit for controlling signal S is shown to illustrate the manner in which apparatus embodying my invention enters into the- Each of the signals S may trolled by a normal magnet 11. and by a reverse magnet r for causing mechanism M to operate switch F to the normal or the reverse position, respectively. part by a switch lever V which, together with signal lever-V may be located in a control station such, for example, as an interlocking tower;

As shown in the drawing, lever V has a normal position N, a reverse position R, a normal, lock position ac, a reverse lock position y, a nor+ nral indication position 3,;a-nd a reverse indica tion position D. Lever V operates contacts '8, 9,

10, 11, and 12 each of which is closed during a given portion otthe movement of lever V from one of its extreme positions N or R to the other. The portion of themovement oflever V during which each of the contacts operatedby lever V is closed is indicated by a reference character adjacent the symbol for the contact such, for example, as reference character NB'adj acent the symbol for contact 8 which indicates-that contact 8 is closed while lever V is in its N position or in its B position or in any other position between these two positions. Y

Lever V is, of the'ty-pe having normal and reverse indication locking means which may comprise two separate electric. locks controlled similarly to looks NL' and BL shown in Patent No. 1,875,853, issued September 6, 1932, to J. P. Coleman, for Railway trafiic controlling apparatus.

Lever V has a normal position designated by the reference character N, a reverse position to the left designatedby the referencecharacter L, and. a reverse position to the right designated by the reference character B. I

A train stop designated by the reference character P is shown adjacent signals S and S said train stop having a contact ,5 which is closed whens-top P is in its normal condition for stopping a train, as shown in the drawing.

As shown .in the; drawing, a circuit is closed for energizing magnet 71., passing from terminal BX or"- a source of current not shown in the drawin through contact 10 of lever V and the wind-' ing of magnet n to terminal CX of the same source-of current. With approach track section c-d and detector track section de both unoccupied and with train stop P in its normal condition for stopping a train, a second circuit. is also completed for energizing magnet n, passingfrom terminal BX, through contact 4 of relay T contact 5 of train stop P, contact 6- of relay T con tact 8 of lever V and magnet 71. to terminal CX. A third circuit for magnet it includes winding 28 of a relayG in multiple with the part of the Magnets 71 and 'r are controlled in second circuit which includes contacts 4 and 6 of relays 'I and T and contact of train stop P. The path through contacts 4 and 6 of relays 'I and T and contact 5 of train stop P has low resistance, and therefore acts as a shunt to winding 28 of relay G. Relay G has also a second Winding 29 which is deenergized on account of contact 12 of lever V being open.

I will now assume that the leverman in the interlocking tower moves lever V to its D- position for causing mechanism M to reverse switch F. The first circuit for magnet n will thereby be opened at contact of lever V and the second circuit for magnet 12 will be opened at contact 8 of lever V A c rcuit will be closed for energizing winding 29 of relay G, passing from terminal BX, through contact 12 of lever V and winding 29 of relay G to terminal CX. Winding 28 of relay G is, however, still shunted by the path through contact 4 of relay T contact 5 of train stop P', and contact 6 of relay T which is closed in a circuit for energizing reverse magnet 1' through contact 9 of lever V and the winding of magnet r to terminal CX. With magnet 1" thus energized, mechanism M will be caused to operateswitch F to its reverse position.

I will next assume that the'apparatus has been returned to its normal condition in which it is shown in the drawing, and that a train has then entered approach section c-d. If, now, the leverman in the interlocking tower attempts to reverse switch F by moving lever V to its D position, the winding of magnet 1' will be in series with winding 28 of relay G in a circuit passing from terminal BX, through winding 28, front point of contact 7 of a key circuit controller U,

contact 9 of, lever V and the winding of magnet r toterminal CX. The cLurent flowing in this circuit will not be sufiicient to operate magnet 1' for causing mechanism M to reverse switch F. Relay G is, however, so designed that it will respond to this current and open its back contact 17 and close its front contacts 13 and 15. An indication device, here shown as an electric lamp 2, will thereupon become energized to inform the trainmen that if he will operate key circuit controller U, he can cause switch F to be operated.

The trainman will therefore operate key U, thereby completing a second circuit for energizing winding 28 of relay G, passing from terminal BX, through winding 28, and the back point of contact 7 of key U to terminal CX. At the same time, a branch path of low resistance will be completed around the path in which winding 28 of relay G is included in series with magnet r. This branch path of low resistance passes from terminal BX, through contact 13 of relay G, contact 14 of key U, and thence as previously traced to magnet r. Magnet 1' will therefore be operated and will cause mechanism M to operate switch F to its reverse position.

If the leverman then continues the movement of lever V from its D position to its R position, he will complete a second circuit for magnet r, passing'from terminal BX, through contact 11 of lever V and the winding of magnet r to terminal OX. At the same time, contact 12 of lever V will be opened, causing winding'29 of relay G to be deenergized, and hence contact 15 of relay G will open. This will cause lamp i'to' be extinguished and thereby inform the trainman that he may return key U to its normal position in which it is shown in the drawing.

With key U again in its'normal position and with relay G deenergized, a circuit similar to that shown for signal S may now be completed for clearing signal S for a train movement over switch F in its reverse position to siding Z. The circuit for clearing signal S for a train movement over switch F in its normal position is shown in part in the drawing, passing from terminal BX, through contact 16 of lever V in its R position, contact 1'? of relay G, contact 18 of key U which is closed when key U is in its normal position, and the mechanism of signal S to terminal CX.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the modification of the apparatus here shown differs from the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 by eliminating relay G and adding a relay Q and a stick relay E, and by making corresponding changes in the circuits.

As shown in the drawing, magnet 11 is energized by a circuit which is exactly the same as the circuit first traced for magnet n in Fig. 1 except that it is supplied with unidirectional current from a source having terminals 1) and 0, Whereas the source of current in Fig. 1 having terminals BX and CK may supply the circuits with alternating current. A second circuit is also closed for magnet n passing from terminal I), through'contact 24 of relay E, contact 8 of lever V and the winding of magnet 11. to terminal 0; Relay E is energized by a circuit passing from terminal I), through contact 19 of relay T contact 20 of relay T and the winding of relay E toterminal '0. A stick circuit is also closed for relay E, passing from terminal b, through a normally closed contact 22 of lever V contact 23 of relay E, and the winding of relay E to terminal 0.

I will now assume that the leverman moves lever V to its D position for operating switch F to its reverse position. A circuit for energizing magnet T will therefore be closed, passing from terminal b, through contact 24 of relay E, contact 9 of lever V and the winding of magnet r to terminal 0. Contact 12 of lever V will now be closed in a circuit for energizing relay Q which will, however, still be open at contact 26 of relay E. Relay Q will, therefore, remain deenergized, and lamp 2' will remain unlighted.

I will next assume that a train has entered approach section cd. after lever V has been operated for clearing signal S for a traflic movement over switch F in its normal position by a circuit passing from terminal b, through contact 16 of lever V contact 25 of key U, and the mechanism of signal S to terminal 0. With lever V in its R position for clearing signal S contact 22 of lever V 'will be open in the stick circuit for relay E, and with approach track relay T deenergized, contact 20 of this relay will be open in the pick-up circuit traced for relay E, and relay E will, therefore, be deenergized. I will also assume that. the leverman now returns lever V to its normal position and moves lever V to its D position for reversing switch F. With relay E deenergized, the operation of lever V to its D po sition will not cause magnet r to be energized, since the circuit for magnet 1* will be open at contact 24 of relay E. With relay E deenergized and with lever V in its D position, relay Q will be energized by its circuit passing from terminal I), through contact 12 of lever V contact 26 of relay E, and the winding of relay Q to terminal 0. Indicator lamp 2' will, therefore, be li hted by its circuit through contact 27 of relay Q, thus serving to inform the trainman that if he will operate key circuit controller U, switch F will be moved to its reverse position. The trainman will, therefore, operate key U, thereby causing relay E- to'be energized by a circuit passing from teminal b, through contact 21 of key U, and the winding of relay E to terminal 0. Relay E, upon becoming thus energized, will open its contact 26,

thereby causing relay Q to extinguish lamp 2', andthus informing the trainman that he may now return key U to its normal position. 'Relay upon becoming energized by its pick-up circuit through contact 21 ofkey U, completes its stick circuit previously traced, andwill, therefore, remain energized by the stick circuit after the trainman returns key U to its normal position.

With relay E energized, the circuit previously traced for magnet 1" through contact 24 of relay E will be energized, and mechanism M will thereupon move switch F to its reverse position.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim is:

1. In combination, a railway track switch, a normal control magnet and a reverse control magnet for said switch, means controlled by said normal and reverse control magnets for operating said switch to normal and reverse positions respectively, a control lever having a full normal and a full reverse position as well as a normal indication position and a reverse indication position and also having a full normal and a full reverse contact as well as a normal indication contact and a reverse indication contact closed in said corresponding positions respectively, a circuit including said full normalcontact for energizing said normal control magnet, a second circuit including said full reverse contact for energizing said reverse control magnet, a. manually controllable circuit controller, other means controlled by said normal indication contact and by said circuit controller as well as by traflicconditionsadjacent said switch for energizing said normalmagnet, and other means controlled by said reverse indication contact and by said circuit controller as well as by traihc conditions adjacent said switch for energizing said reverse magnet.

2. In combination, a railway track switch, a control lever having a full normal and a full reverse position as well as a normal indication position and a reverse indication position for controlling said switch, acontact operated by said lever and arranged to be closed if and only if said lever occupies either of its indication positions or any other position between these two positions, trafiic controlled means for at times preventing control of said switch by said lever if said lever occupies either of said indication positions, means controlled by said lever when in its full normal or its fullreverse position for controlling said switch independently of said traffic con trolled means, an indication. device, and means controlled by said contact for energizing saidindication device if said traffic controlled means is in condition to prevent operation of said switch.

3. In combination, a railway track switch, a control lever having'a normal indication position and a reverse indication position for controlling said switch, a contact so controlled by said lever as to be closed if said lever occupies either of said indication positions or any other position between these two positions, trafiic controlled means for at times preventing control of said switch by said lever if said lever occupies either of said indication positions, means controlled by said lever when in a different position for controlling said switch independently of said trafiic controlled means, an indication device, and means controlled by said contact for energizing saidindicationdevice if said traific controlled means; is in: condition. to prevent operation of said switch.

t; In combination, a stretch of railway track;

including a switch, a control lever,zan. instrument controlled by trafic movements. over said track, a. circuit including a contact operated by said instrument and. controlled. by said. lever for con:- trolling said. switch, an indication device, a branch path for said circuit including said .indicationdevice in multiple with said contact and having suflicient resistance to prevent control of said switchbut. permitting operation of said indication device if said instrument contact is open, a manually controlled key, means controlled by said key for energizing said. indication device, and means controlled by said key and by said indication device 'for'controlling said switch while said indication device is energized.

5. In combination, a stretch of railway track including a switch, an instrument controlled by trafiic movements over said track, a signal for governing trailic movements over said switch, a signal lever having a reverse position iorcontrolling said signal, a manually operable device, a stick relay having a pick-up circuit controlled by said trafiic controlled instrument and having a second pick-up circuit controlled by said manue ally operable device as well as having a stick circuit controlledby said signal lever, a switch control lever operable independently of saidmanually. operable device, means controlled by said switch lever and by saidstick relay for controlling said switch, an indication device, and means for energizing said indication device. if and only if saidswitch lever is in a position for controlling said switch while said stick relay is deenergized.

6. In: combination, a stretch of railway track including a switch, a traffic contact controlled by traffic on said track, controlmechanism for said switch, a circuit including said control mechanism and said trafiic contact for supplying current to operate said control mechanism, an indication relay, asecond circuit including said control mechanism and said indication relay for supplying sufficient current when said trafiic contact is open to operate said indication relay but not sufficient current to operate said control mechanism, a manually operable device, means controlled bysaid manually operable device for transferring said indication relay from said second circuit'to a third circuit for energizing said indication relay, and means controlled by said manually operable device for completing a-fourth circuit through a front contact of said indication relay for operating said control mechanism.

'7. In combination, a stretch of railway track including a switch, a traffic contact controlled by trafiic onsaid track, control mechanism for said switch, a circuit including said control mechanism and said trailic contact for supplying current to operate said control mechanism, an indication relay, a second circuit including said control mechanism and said indication relay for supplying sufficient current when said traific contact is open to operate said indication relay but not sufrlcientcurrent to operate said control mechanism, a manually operable device, and means controlled by said manually operable device for oper-' ating both said control mechanism and said dication relay.

.8. In combination, a stretch of railway track including a switch, a track circuit for said stretch including a track relay, a manually operable lever having a full normal and a full reverse position aswell as a normal indication and a reverse indication position and having a normal and a reverse contact closed when the lever is in said normal and reverse positions respectively and also having a normal and a reverse indication contact closed when the lever is in said normal and reverse indication positions respectively, normal and reverse magnets for. controlling operations of said switch to normal and reverse positions respectively, energizing circuits for said normal and reverse magnets including said normal and reverse contacts respectively, other energizing circuits for said normal and reverse magnets including said normal and reverse indication contacts and controlled by said track relay, an indi cation relay, and energizing circuits for said indication relay including said normal or reverse indication contacts respectively and the winding of said indication relay. i

9. In combination, a stretch of railway track including a switch, a track circuit for said stretch including a track relay, a manually operable lever having a normal and a reverse position as Well as a normal indication and a reverse indication position and having a normal and a reverse'contact closed when the lever is in said normal and reverse positions respectively and also having a normal and a reverse indication contact closed when the lever is in said normal and reverse indication positions respectively, normal and reverse magnets for controlling operations of said switch to normal and reverse positions respectively, circuits for energizing said normal and reverse magnets including said normal and reverse contacts respectively, and other circuits controlled by'said normal and reverse indication contacts and closed only when said track relay is energized for energizing said normal and reverse magnets respectively. i

' 10. In combination, a stretch of railway track including a switch, a locking contact controlied in accordance with traiiic conditions adjacent said switch, a switch control circuit controlled by said contact for controlling said switch, an indication device, a second circuit comprising a porticn of said switch controlled circuit and including said indication device for supplying sufficient current when said locking contact is open to operate said indication device but not supplying sufficient current to control said switch, a manually operable key, and means controlled by said key when operated for energizing said indication device and for supplying current to control said switch while said indication device is energized.

1l.- In combination, a stretch of railway: track including a switch, locking means controlled in accordance with trafiic conditions adjacent the switch, switch control'means located at a point remote from the switch, a switch control circuit controlled by said switch control means and by said locking means, an indication relay, an in dicator adjacent the switch controlled by said indication relay, a manually controlled contact asseciated with said indicator, means eiiective if the switch control means is operated when said looking means is eiiective and said manually controlled contact is normal to include said indication relay in said switch control circuit to supply sufficient current to said circuit to energize said indication relay but not to operate the switch, a second circuit for said indication relay closed when said manually controlled contact is reversed and said switch control means is operated, and means effective when said manually controlled contactis reversed and said indication relay is energized to supply a greater current to said switch control circuit to operate the switch. '12. In combination, a stretch of railway track including a switch, a contact controlled in accordance with traffic conditions adjacent the switch, switch control means at a point remote from the switch, a switch control circuit controlled by said contact and by said means, an indication device controlled by said switch control means and adapted to be included in said switch control circuit when said traflic controlled contact is open, a manually controlled contact controlled by means adjacent the switch, said manually controlled contact being efiective when normal if said switch control means is operated under unfavorable traffic conditions to include said indication device in said switch control circuit to supply sufiicient current to said circuit to energize said indication device but not to operate the switch, and means eliective when said manually controlled contact is in its reverse position to energize said indication device provided said switch control means is operated and to supply a greater, current to said switch control circuit to operate the switch provided the indication device is energized.

' 13. In combination, a stretch of railway track including a switch, a traffic contact controlled in accordance with traffic conditions in said stretch, control mechanism for said switch, control means located at a-point remote from the switch, means controlled by said trafic contact and by said control means for operating said control mechanism, an indication relay, means for connecting said indication relay in series with said control mechanism when said trafiic contact'is open for supplying sufiicient current thereto to energize said indication relay but not sufiicient current to operate said control mechanism, an indication lamp located adjacent said switch and controlled by said indication relay, a manually operable device adjacent said indication lamp, and means efiective if said control means is operated when said trafiic contact is open provided said manually operable device is also operated for energizing said indication relay, and means effective when said manually operable device is operated and said indication relay is energized for operating said control mechanism.

i i. In combination, a railway track switch, a locking relay energized only when trafiic conditions are favorable for the operation of the switch, a switch control lever having extreme normal and reverse positions and also intermediate normal and reverse positions; normally energized means for operating the switch, circuits for energizing said means to move the switch to its normal or reverse position respectively including contacts closed in the intermediate positions of said lever and also including a front contact of said looking relay, and other circuits for energizing said means to maintain the switch in its last operated position independentlyof the condition of said locking relay including contacts closed only in the extreme positions of said lever. 

